Robotic Arms

Robotic arms are machines that are programmed to perform a job. They include joints and functionality that resembles the motion of a human arm. Robotic arms are benchtop-mounted, mechanical devices which are controlled electronically. You can read more information about their uses in our robotic arms guide.

Why use a robotic arm?Robot arms are ideal for operations which are repetitive or require high accuracy. They are also ideal for applications which could also be dangerous for human contact. Robotic arms are fast, accurate and reliable, and can be programmed to perform different operations.

What are they made up of?The main part of a robot arm is the controller. It is essentially the brain of the arm and uses the programming information to control the robot. The arm also consists of joints such as the arm, shoulder, and elbow. When used together in different positions, the joints allow the end attachment/effector to move around as required. Other parts include motors, encoders and digital servos. Some robotic arms also include sensors for feeding back information.

Robotics AttachmentsRobot arm kits often come with different attachments to help perform. For example, grippers or suction cups to help pick up and carry objects. Robot end effector is the name given to the attachments that interact with the application.

Types of robotic arm:Cartesian/Gantry - 3 joints that follow the Cartesian coordinates (XYZ)Cylindrical - Rotary joint and prismatic joint work on a cylindrical axisArticulated - 3 or more joints with extra freedom for complex operationsPolar/Spherical - twisting joint for full rotationSCARA - 2 parallel rotary joints for movement in one selected plane.